Drake Son of Slant Soprano Saxophone Mouthpiece

This is a Drake vintage resin soprano mouthpiece. It is called the “Son of Slant” in reference to a vintage Otto Link Slant soprano mouthpiece. Here is the description from the Drake website of the mouthpiece:

The design of this mouthpiece has been modeled after the Otto Link Slant model, with a few modifications to help facilitate better stability of pitch and greater projection. The floor slope has been raised and extended. Amazing warmth and depth to the tone with a great expressive range. Featuring beautifully under cut walls and a chamber dimension larger than the shank diameter with a carefully contoured roll over baffle.

Drake Son of Slant Soprano Saxophone Mouthpiece

This mouthpiece has a .065 tip opening which is what I prefer on soprano. It has a pretty large chamber in it. Larger than most of the soprano mouthpiece I have tried. The only mouthpiece I have tried with a bigger chamber was a Morgan 6LC mouthpiece that I tried once. The bigger chamber gives it a bigger fatter sound in my opinion. Not bright at all, more on the dark side of things in my opinion. At the same time it has a nice ring to the tone that I really enjoyed. If I had to pick one word to sum up the sound of this mouthpiece it would be “sweet”. Check out the Drake website for more info on this soprano mouthpiece. Let me know what you think. Steve

Steve Neff has been playing and teaching saxophone and jazz improvisation around the New England area for the last 30 years. He is the author of many effective jazz improvisation methods as well as founding the popular jazz video lesson site Neffmusic.com.

I like being able to adjust where on the reed the ligature is placed. Sometimes I put it closer to the front of the reed, sometimes I put it near the back. With the round circle ligs you don’t have a choice you slide it on until it stops and that is where it is. I like more freedom.

I’m sorry to say that I have no idea. It’s been awhile since I played these and I’ve sent them back since then…………Sorry. I remember they both played well but I can’t remember what the differences were.

I have a Yamaha soprano from the 80’s YSS-62 I believe. Most of the time I use a Theo Wanne Gaia right now. Although that piece is brighter than many of the soprano pieces I have played. I use Vandoren Java 3 1/2 reeds.

You’re in the clear again, Steve, and your clips proves their great worth once more (though their effect on my account balance is less happy). I just got a Son of Slant soprano, and it is exactly what I have been looking for for ages: just that bit darker and more mellow than my other favorites like the Aizen LS. It’s also amazingly reed-friendly and powerful, and great in the upper register. For once I really think I’ve found the dream soprano mouthpiece, so you can stop tempting me with any more new ones! Well, for the time being… Many thanks.
Andy

This is my dream soprano mouthpiece. It does everything I want, especially in the upper register, where it plays more easily than any other soprano mouthpiece I’ve ever had. It is dark, but powerful, and very easy to blow.

Hello I have a Yamaha YSS475 want to improve their sound is very metallic. My other saxophones Vintage and use nozzles are generally based on Otto Link Slant Sig
Your tip will give me that result?
What is the value and the cost of shipping by UPS or DHL to Argentina?
This video sax and mouthpiece that were recorded?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGTw-6s_kOo&feature=player_embedded#!
thanks

I love the sound of this Drake on soprano ! and heard also Andy and love the tone. I wish I could get one to try before buying blindfold. The best mpc for soprano – which is my third instrument after tenor and alto – was a short shank vintage soloist but it was refaced by Marco Collazzoni ( Borgani chief technician) it was huge in opening by soprano standards: a 2 mm ( Ignore what that is in thousands of inches) but played with extreme facility and in tune, while Im normally used to 0.065 inches opening on soprano. Second best is my present 6* schreiber hr mouthpiece that comese standard on keilwerths, and is marked with that brand. Sweet/darkish sound, not buzzy and not squeeqy, which I hate in sopranos’ sound

sorry folks, for the above post I used a YSS 475 ist series and various 2 and 2.5 reeds, and later an Eastman silver curved soprano very well copied fro
m a yani 901, down to the last screw… and sufficiently in sound.

Just to say that I still have not even thought about any other soprano mouthpiece since getting the Drake, which for me is a first. I change tenor mouthpiece with monotonous regularity, but have actually bought a spare SoS. The Drake NY alto has had the same effect, and I have just started on a Drake NY Metal Tenor H, which is also a standout.

Testimonials

I’ve been having ‘ online’ lessons with Steve for a few months now. Being a teacher myself I had had some reservations with the idea at first and the practicalities of it . Let me just say that my playing has taken a huge leaps forward while studying with Steve and continues to do so.Steve studied with some renowned player/teachers such as Bergonzi and Garzone– this in itself is invaluable but Steve teaches from his own books, which cover a a vast amount of jazz language. Steve has some impor…

David

I bought Steve’s dominant bebop book and took a couple of online lesson from him. I really appreciated Steve’s careful listening of what I wanted to get done in a lesson and his clear, concise ideas on next steps to improve my playing and musical interpretation. His mastering the Dominant Bebop Scale has lots of exercises to use a scale that addresses the largest percentage of chords I come across in pop/blues music. The dominant V7. Needless say it has improved my playing. I teach and a…

Keith

I’m an experienced player in the pop/soul/funk areas of music and, previously, classical. Over the decades I’ve been playing, I’ve always felt that I could do what I needed in those styles of music. However, recently I began to feel limited by my use of the same old licks. When I discovered Steve Neff’s website, and heard the audio examples based on the exercises in his books, I realized they were what I needed. I purchased all of them and have been working on them since. It’s very hard work…

Paul

Steve really changed my way of practicing: I got a whole lot of new ideas for my playing the tenor. His lessons are really helpful, give a lot stuff to practice and give clear answers to complicated stuff. Steve has a lot of humor and I wish I had laughed so much in my former days with the horn. All topics, from Blues to Approach note are dealt with clearness that wet ones appetite to play and practice that great ideas.

Uwe

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Lenore

Your material is great! I got your New Altissimo Lesson 6 months ago and I have learned more from that than in all my 44 years of playing! I appreciate your down to earth teaching method and I really appreciate the heart that you teach with. I have been a subscriber to your lessons for the past 6 months and I have learned a great deal. Over that period of time I have had some questions and you have never failed to respond. Thanks! I have already recommended your lessons to a number of players in…

Michael Byington

Hello Steve,

I have not received my alto yet but have already gone through 14 lessons. I love your approach, style, knowledge and competence. I now regret so much to have stayed away from playing the sax for the past 45-50 years…(I am 65). But It is never too late to get back to your first love. After 23 years in compuer sciences and 22 years in finances…I am now back to music for the rest of my life.

Never really had lessons before just kinda worked things out on my own. Was in a rut but your lessons are really helpful in opening melodic possibilities. Ur an awesome resource to the saxophone community. Thanks for sharing.

Anthony

Thank you for the wealth of helpful lessons you’ve provided over the years. I truly feel as though it has improved my playing more than the 4 years I spent at Berklee… and that’s not a slight on the school as I loved my experience there.

John

John

I just joined Neff Music last month. I can’t tell you how excited I’ve been to be able to pick back up on lessons. I’ve been in a rut and you got me out! I’ve especially appreciated the Lesson Path section. It was so clear I knew exactly where to jump in and start. Many many thanks!